Miami Dolphins Ink Safety Marcus Maye
Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
We’re past OTA season and heading toward training camp, but the Miami Dolphins aren’t resting in free agency. Needing to beef up their secondary after losing safety Brandon Jones to the Denver Broncos and releasing Xavien Howard, the Fins perhaps put the finishing touches on their depth by signing Marcus Maye, per Jordan Schultz.
Breaking: Former Jets and Saints safety Marcus Maye is signing with the #Dolphins, per source.
Maye had multiple teams interested but loves the roster in Miami and wants to be part of a Super Bowl contender — which he believes Miami has. pic.twitter.com/OOpu62Ihv6
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) June 11, 2024
Maye, 31, has been impactful when he stays on the field. The problem has been staying on the field, however. In his final season with the New York Jets in 2021, he missed two games with an ankle injury, then his team’s final nine games with an Achilles tear. Then he signed a three-year, $28.5 million contract with the New Orleans’ Saints, where the injury woes didn’t improve.
The next two seasons saw Maye sit out games for rib, abdomen, hamstring, and multiple shoulder injuries. On top of that, Maye was suspended for three games with for violating the league’s substance abuse policy last year, limiting his total games in New Orleans to 17 over two years.
Those 17 games, though, saw Maye play well despite the constant injuries. Maye had two interceptions, four passes defended, a forced fumble, and 97 tackles (69 solo), including three for a loss. If that was one season, we would be looking at a very productive year.
🎥 New Miami Dolphins safety Marcus Maye is a playmaker 💥 (YT: SimplyAS10) #GoFins pic.twitter.com/NaC3M59tij
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) June 11, 2024
Instead, the Saints released Maye, leaving him free for the Dolphins to scoop him up.
The risk here is, obviously, that 31-year-old professional athletes usually don’t get any less injury-prone. As good as Maye can be when healthy, playing 23 of a possible 51 games over the past three years is a red flag, even if something like an Achilles’ tear isn’t exactly a nagging injury.
As a sole solution, maybe fans should be nervous about the move. The good news for the Dolphins is, this is just one part of a larger makeover of the secondary. Led by Super Bowl Champion Kendall Fuller combined with bringing in Jordan Poyer and Siran Neal, Miami has options to keep their defensive backs going even if a piece of that puzzle doesn’t work out. This time of year, there’s no such thing as bad depth, and if Maye is able to put his injuries behind him, he can make an impact for Anthony Weaver’s defense.
Up Next